Hanger for clotheslines and the like



July ,9, 1929. I J; QYEN HANGER FOR CLOTHESLINES AND THE LIKE Filed March 16, 1928 Patented July 9, 1929.

STATES lflllltt il EDWIN J. OYEN, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

HANGER FOR GLOTHESLINES AND THE LIKE.

Application filed March 16, 1928.

This invention relates to a hanger which has been designed more particularly for facilitating the hanging of clothes in attics, cellars and similar places.

its principal object is the provision a simple and inexpensive hanger by \VlllCll clothes lines can be conveniently and readily hung in limited spaces with a maximum carrying capacity and without danger of sagging.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a hanger of this character which is easy to install and does not require the use of nails or like fastenii which embodies rel.iablemeans for securely anchoring the clothes line thereto without the use of knots, and which enables the clothes line to be readily attached to and detached from the hanger.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the ceiling of a cellar showing my improved hangers and clothes line suspended therefrom. Figure 2 is an enlarged face or front view of one of the hangers. Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section on line 8-3, Figure 2.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

By way of example, my invention has been shown as applied to the ceiling of a cellar, 10 indicating the joists, 11 the flooring, and 12 the clothes line held firmly and securely without sagging by the novel hangers 13.

Each hanger is constructed from a single length of resilient materiel, preferably galvanized wire, bent above midway of its length into U-shape. The resulting legs 14:, 1 l form the suspension or attaching arms of the hanger and their upper or free ends are laterally bent to provide anchoring spurs or prongs 15 for securely fasteping the hanger to the joists. The attaching arms may be of different lengths, if desired, to bring the prongs at different points in the grain of the wood-joist and avoid splitting it when securing the hanger in place with a hammer or like tool.

At its lower or bent end where the clothes line is engaged therewith, the hanger is pro vided with a gripping device for detachably securing the line thereto, the preferred form of device being shown in the drawings and consisting of a coil 16 of one or more turns,

Serial No. 262,203.

the adjoining turns of the coil normally lying in contacting engagement to provide yieldable aws between which the clothes line is firmly pinched or anchored, as shown in Figure 3. The provision of this coil also enables the legs l l, l t to be spread or contracted when desired, as when obliged to clear pipes or other obstructions which might likewise be secured to the joists.

In the use of these hangers, they are hun from the joists at suitable intervals, say ten to twelve feet apart, with their coils 16 dieposed at any desired distance from the joists to suit the height most convenient for the user in hanging the clothes. After securing one end of the line to a joist by a nail 17 or similar fastening, the remainder of the line is threaded successively through the loops formed by the hanger-legs lt, each section of the line being drawn taut and then anchored to the respective coil 16 by it'orcing or inserting it between the turns or yieldable jaw portions thereof. The opposite end of the line may then be secured to the adjacent joist in the same manner as that described for its other end. Thus, a plurality of independent line-sections of comparatively short lengths are provided, each section. being securely anchored at its ends against slippage, so that the weight of the clothes on each line-section is carried by it alone and is not transmitted to the others, thereby positively avoiding a sagging line and dispensing with the use of clothes line props.

cellar or other place equipped with these hangers enables a maximum number of clothes to be hung in a limited space, the lines being usually hung in parallel relation so as to leave ample aisle space and provide for air circulation to dry the clothes. \Vhilc manifestly simple and inexpensive in construction, these improved hangers are strong, durable and neat in appearance, they can be installed quickly and easily, and they onable the clothes lines to be firmly anchored thereto without the use of knots and to al ways assume a taut, non-sagging position where they do not interfere with the limited head room usually available in attics, cellars and like places.

I claim as my invention 1. A clothes line hanger, comprising a single length of resilient wire of substan tially U-shapc, the looped portion of the hanger being shaped to provide yieldable jaws for pinching the clothes line between hanger being shaped into a spiral wound them, and the side portions of the hanger coil of one or more turns, the latter forming terminating in laterally-bent anchoring yieldable jaws for gripping a clothes line 10 prongs. therebetween, and the side portions of the 5 2. A clothes line hanger, comprising a hanger terminating at their free ends in single length of resilient wire of substanlaterally-bent anchoring prongs. tially U-shape, the looped portion of the EDVIN J. OYEN. 

